Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/177

165 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. XXII. Hu swiðe se reccere sceal bion on his smeaunga abisgod on [ymb] ðære [ða] halgan æ.

Ac eall ðis aredað se reccere swiðe ryhte, ðonne he for Godes lufum & for Godes ege deð ðæt ðæt he deð, & ælce dæge geornfullice smeað ða bebodu haligra gewrita, ðætte on him sie uparæred se cræft ðære giemenne ymbe ða foresceawunga ðæs hefonlican lifes, ðone singallice ðisse eorðlican drohtunge gewuna wile toweorpan, buton hiene sio myndgung ðara haligra gewrita onbryrde ; forðæm se eorðlica geferscipe hiene tihð on ða lufe his ealdan ungewunan, he sceal simle higian ðæt he weorðe onbryrd & geedniwad to ðæm hefоnlican eðle. Ac his mod bið swide yðegende & swiðe abisgod mid eorðlicra monna wordum, forðæm hit is openlice cuð ðæt sio uterre abisgung ðissa worldðinga ðæs monnes mod gedrefð, & hiene scofeð hidres ðidres, oððæt he afilð of his agnum willan ; ac him bið ðearf ðæt he hiene genime simle be ðære leornunge haligra gewrita, & be ðæm arise. For ðissum ðingum manoda Paulus Timotheum his cniht, & cwæð: Đonne ic cume, ðonne beo ðu abisgod ymbe rædinge. And eft Dauid be ðæm ilcan spræc, ða he cwæd: Loca, Dryhten, hu swiðe ic lufige ðine æ; ealne dæg ðæt bið min smeaung. Eft be ðys ilcan bebead Dryhten Moyse hu he sceolde beran ða earce, þa he cwæð: Wyrc feower hringas ælgyldene, & ahoh hie swiðe fæste on ða feower hyrnan ðære earce; & hat wyrcean twegen stengeas of ðæm treowe, þe is haten sethim, ðæt ne wierð næfre forrotod ; & befoh utan mid golde ; & sting ut ðurh ða hringas bi ðære earce sidan, ðæt hie mon mæge

XXII. How greatly the ruler is to be engaged in meditating on the holy law. But the ruler arranges all this very rightly, when he does every- thing for the fear and love of God, and daily meditates zealously on the commands of the holy Scriptures, that in him the power of the provident care of the heavenly life be exalted, which the habit of this earthly life is ever about to destroy, unless the admonition of the holy Scriptures inspire him ; since earthly companionship draws him to the love of his former bad habits, he must ever strive to be inspired and regenerated for the heavenly regions. But his mind fluctuates greatly and is disturbed by the words of earthly men, because it is openly